Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
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Comparative Study
Associations between published quality ratings of skilled nursing facilities and outcomes of medicare beneficiaries with heart failure.
Nursing Home Compare quality ratings are designed to allow patients, families, and clinicians to compare facilities based on quality, but associations of the current measures with important clinical outcomes are not known. Our study examined associations between ratings and readmission and mortality among Medicare beneficiaries admitted to a skilled nursing facility with a primary diagnosis of heart failure. ⋯ Publicly reported Nursing Home Compare quality ratings of Medicare-certified skilled nursing facilities were modestly associated with 90-day readmission and mortality among Medicare beneficiaries discharged to these facilities after hospitalization for heart failure.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Prevalence of psychotropic medication use among German and Austrian nursing home residents: a comparison of 3 cohorts.
Despite increasing knowledge about the limited effectiveness and severe adverse effects, the prescription rate of psychotropic medications in frail elderly persons remains high. Prescriptions are mainly made to control behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, although factors associated with prescriptions are rarely reported. However, such information is a prerequisite to develop intervention programs aiming to safely reduce psychotropic medication in nursing home residents. ⋯ Frequency of psychotropic and especially antipsychotic medication is substantial in nursing home residents in Germany and Austria. The high number of prescriptions is likely to be an indicator for a perceived or actual lack of strategies to handle behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.
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Comparative Study
The influence of hospice use on nursing home and hospital use in assisted living among dual-eligible enrollees.
This study examined the impact of hospice enrollment on the probabilities of hospital and nursing home admissions among a sample of frail dual-eligible assisted living (AL) residents. ⋯ Hospice enrollment was associated with a lower likelihood of hospital and nursing home admissions, and, thus, may have allowed AL residents in need of palliative care to remain in the AL community. AL providers should support and facilitate hospice care among older frail dual-eligible AL residents. More research is needed to examine the impact of hospice care on resident quality of life and total health care expenditures among AL residents.
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Comparative Study
Has the prevalence of disability increased over the past decade (2000-2007) in elderly people? A Spanish population-based survey.
The main objectives of the current study were (1) to describe the prevalence of disability according to sociodemographic features, self-perceived health status, comorbidity, and lifestyle habits; (2) to determine factors associated with disability in men and women; and (3) to study the time trends prevalence of disability in the period 2000 to 2007. ⋯ The current study revealed an increase in disability from 2000 to 2007 in the older Spanish population. We found that age older than 84 years, lower education levels, obesity, not practicing physical activity and sleeping more than 8 hours per day were associated with higher disability. Individuals with disability reported a worse self-perceived health status and a greater number of comorbid conditions.
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Review Meta Analysis
Effectiveness of intervention programs in preventing falls: a systematic review of recent 10 years and meta-analysis.
To examine the reported effectiveness of fall-prevention programs for older adults by reviewing randomized controlled trials from 2000 to 2009. ⋯ The meta-sensitivity analysis indicates that randomized controlled trials of fall-prevention programs conducted within the past 10 years (2000-2009) are effective in overall reduction of fall rates of 9% with a reduction of fall rates of 10% in multifactorial interventions, 9% in community settings, and 12% in Model I interventions (initial intervention efforts and then subsequent follow-up).